Is Complexity of Daily Activity Associated with Physical Function and Life Space Mobility among Older Adults?

Purpose Information about mobility, and physical function may be encoded in the complexity of daily activity pattern. Therefore, daily activity pattern complexity metrics could provide novel insight regarding the relationship between daily activity behaviour and health. The purpose of the present study was to examine the association between the complexity of daily activity behaviour, and mobility and physical function among community-dwelling older adults aged 75, 80, and 85 years-of-age. Methods A total of 309 participants wore accelerometers concurrently on the thigh and the trunk for at least 3 consecutive days. Five activity states (lying, sitting, standing, walking, or activity other t…

Strength, [corrected] endurance or combined training elicit diverse skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain isoform proportion but unaltered androgen receptor concentration in older men.

We investigated whether the myosin heavy chain (MyHC) proportion and androgen receptor (AR) concentration in skeletal muscle differ following 21 weeks of strength, endurance and combined training in untrained older men. Strength (S) and endurance (E) groups trained twice per week and combined (S+E) group trained four times per week (two strength and two endurance). Muscle biopsies were obtained before and after the training period from m. vastus lateralis (VL) and AR mRNA and protein concentration and MyHC proportion were determined. 1RM increased during the training period in S, S+E and E but the changes were greater in S and S+E than in E. Statistically significant increases were observed…

Heart Rate Dynamics after Combined Strength and Endurance Training in Middle-Aged Women: Heterogeneity of Responses

The loss of complexity in physiological systems may be a dynamical biomarker of aging and disease. In this study the effects of combined strength and endurance training compared with those of endurance training or strength training alone on heart rate (HR) complexity and traditional HR variability indices were examined in middle-aged women. 90 previously untrained female volunteers between the age of 40 and 65 years completed a 21 week progressive training period of either strength training, endurance training or their combination, or served as controls. Continuous HR time series were obtained during supine rest and submaximal steady state exercise. The complexity of HR dynamics was assesse…

The Associations of Activity Fragmentation with Physical and Mental Fatigability among Community-Dwelling 75-, 80- and 85-Year-Old People

Abstract Background Fatigue related to task standardized by duration and intensity, termed fatigability, could manifest as shortening of activity bouts throughout the day causing daily activity to accumulate in a more fragmented pattern. Our purpose was to study the association of activity fragmentation with physical and mental dimensions of fatigability. Methods A cross-sectional study of 485 community-dwelling 75-, 80-, and 85-year-old people using a thigh-worn accelerometer for 3–7 days. Activity fragmentation was studied as Active-to-Sedentary Transition Probability for 2 operational definitions of physical activity: accelerations equivalent to at least light physical activity and for u…

Gait Variability Using Waist- and Ankle-Worn Inertial Measurement Units in Healthy Older Adults

Gait variability observed in step duration is predictive of impending adverse health outcomes among apparently healthy older adults and could potentially be evaluated using wearable sensors (inertial measurement units, IMU). The purpose of the present study was to establish the reliability and concurrent validity of gait variability and complexity evaluated with a waist and an ankle-worn IMU. Seventeen women (age 74.8 (SD 44) years) and 10 men (73.7 (4.1) years) attended two laboratory measurement sessions a week apart. Their stride duration variability was concurrently evaluated based on a continuous 3 min walk using a force plate and a waist- and an ankle-worn IMU. Their gait complexity (…

Individualized counselling for active aging: protocol of a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial among older people (the AGNES intervention study)

Background: Active aging has been established as a policy goal for aging societies. We define active aging at the individual level as striving for elements of well-being through activities in relation to a person’s goals, functional capacities and opportunities. Increasing evidence suggests that any meaningful activity is beneficial for different aspects of well-being in older people. The aim of the present randomized controlled trial is to test the feasibility and effectiveness of a one-year community-based intervention on active aging. The AGNES intervention aims at increasing older peoples’ participation in self-selected valued activities. Methods: The proposed study is a two-arm single-…

Adverse metabolic response to regular exercise: Is it a rare or common occurrence?

Background. Individuals differ in the response to regular exercise. Whether there are people who experience adverse changes in cardiovascular and diabetes risk factors has never been addressed. Methodology/Principal Findings. An adverse response is defined as an exercise-induced change that worsens a risk factor beyond measurement error and expected day-to-day variation. Sixty subjects were measured three times over a period of three weeks, and variation in resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) and in fasting plasma HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and insulin (FI) was quantified. The technical error (TE) defined as the within-subject standard deviation derived from these measur…

Association Between Free-Living Sit-to-Stand Transition Characteristics, and Lower-Extremity Performance, Fear of Falling, and Stair Negotiation Difficulties Among Community-Dwelling 75 to 85-Year-Old Adults

Abstract Background Good sit-to-stand (STS) performance is an important factor in maintaining functional independence. This study investigated whether free-living STS transition volume and intensity, assessed by a thigh-worn accelerometer, is associated with characteristics related to functional independence. Methods Free-living thigh-worn accelerometry was recorded continuously for 3–7 days in a population-based sample of 75-, 80-, and 85-year-old community-dwelling people (479 participants; women n = 287, men n = 192). The records were used to evaluate the number and intensity (angular velocity of the STS phase) of STS transitions. Associations with short physical performance battery (SPP…

Day-to-Day Variability and Year-to-Year Reproducibility of Accelerometer-Measured Free-Living Sit-to-Stand Transitions Volume and Intensity among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

(1) Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the day-to-day variability and year-to-year reproducibility of an accelerometer-based algorithm for sit-to-stand (STS) transitions in a free-living environment among community-dwelling older adults. (2) Methods: Free-living thigh-worn accelerometry was recorded for three to seven days in 86 (women n = 55) community-dwelling older adults, on two occasions separated by one year, to evaluate the long-term consistency of free-living behavior. (3) Results: Year-to-year intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for the number of STS transitions were 0.79 (95% confidence interval, 0.70-0.86, p < 0.001), for mean angular velocity-0.81 (95% c…

Cardiorespiratory, neuromuscular and cardiac autonomic adaptations to combined endurance and strength training in ageing men and women

Ovatko nuoret aikuiset fyysisesti aktiivisempia kuin iäkkäät?

Associations Between Accelerometer-Based Free-Living Walking and Self-Reported Walking Capability Among Community-Dwelling Older People

The authors examined whether accelerometer-based free-living walking differs between those reporting walking modifications or perceiving walking difficulty versus those with no difficulty. Community-dwelling 75-, 80-, or 85-year-old people (N = 479) wore accelerometers continuously for 3–7 days, and reported whether they perceived no difficulties, used walking modifications, or perceived difficulties walking 2 km. Daily walking minutes, walking bouts, walking bout intensity and duration, and activity fragmentation were calculated from accelerometer recordings, and cut points for increased risk for perceiving walking difficulties were calculated using receiver operating characteristic analys…

Individual Scaling of Accelerometry to Preferred Walking Speed in the Assessment of Physical Activity in Older Adults

Abstract Background Walking forms a large portion of physical activity (PA) of older adults. We assessed free-living PA using acceleration corresponding to preferred walking speed as a relative cut-point and studied how it relates to age. We compared the relative cut-point to a common absolute cut-point of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Method Four hundred forty-four community-dwelling adults aged 75, 80, and 85 years wore an accelerometer on the thigh during a PA surveillance period and a modified 6-minute walking test (6MWT) at preferred speed. Each individual’s mean acceleration (g) during the 6MWT was used as a cut-point for relative PA. Acceleration corresponding to thr…

Heart rate acceleration at relative workloads during treadmill and overground running for tracking exercise performance during functional overreaching

AbstractMaximal rate of heart rate (HR) increase (rHRI) as a measure of HR acceleration during the transition from rest to exercise, or during an increase in workload, tracks exercise performance. rHRI assessed at relative rather than absolute workloads may track performance better, and a field test would increase applicability. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of rHRI assessed at individualised relative workloads during treadmill and overground running for tracking exercise performance. Treadmill running performance (5 km time trial; 5TTT) and rHRI were assessed in 11 male runners following 1 week of light training (LT), 2 weeks of heavy training (HT) and a 10-day tap…

Effects of strength and endurance training on antioxidant enzyme gene expression and activity in middle-aged men

This study was aimed at investigating the effects of a 21-week period of progressive strength or endurance training on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) antioxidant enzyme gene expression and activity in healthy middle-aged untrained men. Strength (n=11) and endurance (n=12) training were performed twice a week, including resistance exercises to activate all the main muscle groups or cycle-ergometer pedaling, respectively. mRNA levels of catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and cytosolic superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) were increased after 21 weeks of strength training, while endurance training induced significant changes only in MnSOD an…

The effect of individualized, theory-based counselling intervention on active aging and quality of life among older people (the AGNES intervention study)

Abstract Background We define active aging as a striving for activities as per one’s goals, capacities and opportunities. Aim To test the 1-year counselling intervention effects on active aging. Methods In this two-arm single-blinded randomized controlled trial, the intervention group received individually tailored counselling supporting autonomous motivation for active life (one face-to-face session, four phone calls and supportive written material, n = 101) and the control group written health information (n = 103). Participants were community-dwelling men and women aged 75 or 80 years with intermediate mobility function and without cognitive impairment. The primary outcome was active agi…

Serum basal hormone concentrations, nutrition and physical fitness during strength and/or endurance training in 39-64-year-old women.

We examined effects of 21 weeks of strength and/or endurance training and nutrition on serum hormones and physical fitness in 39-64-year-old women. Subjects (n=79) were randomized into the endurance group (E), strength group (S), combined group (SE) and controls (C). Total body strength training and high-intensity bicycle training were used. Average energy and nutrient intake remained the same in all groups. Body fat (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) decreased significantly in all training groups and body mass index in E, SE and C. Only SE increased total body lean mass (2.2%, p=0.001), between groups p=0.044. Maximal cycling power increased more in E (16%) and SE (17%) than in S (8%)(all …

Assessing physical performance and physical activity in large population-based aging studies: home-based assessments or visits to the research center?

Abstract Background The current study aims to compare correlations between a range of measures of physical performance and physical activity assessing the same underlying construct in different settings, that is, in a home versus a highly standardized setting of the research center or accelerometer recording. We also evaluated the selective attrition of participants related to these different settings and how selective attrition affects the associations between variables and indicators of health, functioning and overall activity. Methods Cross-sectional analyses comprising population-based samples of people aged 75, 80, and 85 years living independently in Jyväskylä, Finland. The AGNES stud…

Reliability and concurrent validity of spatiotemporal stride characteristics measured with an ankle-worn sensor among older individuals

Background. Wearable inertial sensors have been shown to provide valid mean gait characteristics assessments, however, assessment of variability is less convincingly established. Research question. What level of concurrent validity, and session-to-session reliability does an ankle-worn inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based gait assessment with a novel angular velocity-based gait event detection algorithm have among older adults? Methods. Twenty seven (women N = 17) participants volunteered (age 74.4 (SD 4.3) years, body mass 74.5 (12.0) kg, height 165.9 (9.9) cm). Right leg stance, swing, and stride duration and stride length, and stride velocity were concurrently assessed with motion captu…

Use of walking modifications, perceived walking difficulty and changes in outdoor mobility among community-dwelling older people during COVID-19 restrictions

Abstract Background Outdoor mobility enables participation in essential out-of-home activities in old age. Aim To compare changes in different aspects of outdoor mobility during COVID-19 restrictions versus two years before according to self-reported walking. Methods Community-dwelling participants of AGNES study (2017–2018, initial age 75–85) responded to AGNES-COVID-19 postal survey in spring 2020 (N = 809). Life-space mobility, autonomy in participation outdoors, and self-reported physical activity were assessed at both time points and differences according to self-reported walking modifications and difficulty vs. intact walking at baseline were analyzed. Results Life-space mobility and …

Association between arterial stiffness and walking capacity in older adults

Background and aim: Arterial stiffening – a process that is largely due to intimal thickening, collagen disposition or elastin fragmentation – significantly contributes to cardiovascular events and mortality. There is also some evidence that it may negatively affect physical function. This study aimed to evaluate whether arterial stiffness was associated with measures of walking capacity in a large, population-based sample of highly aged older adults.Methods: A population-based sample of 910 community-dwelling adults (aged 75, 80, or 85 years) were investigated in a cross-sectional observational study. Pulse wave velocity (PWV), a surrogate marker of arterial stiffness, was estimated based …

Individual responses to combined endurance and strength training in older adults.

Purpose: A combination of endurance and strength training is generally used to seek further health benefits or enhanced physical performance in older adults compared with either of the training modes alone. The mean change within a training group, however, may conceal a wide range of individual differences in the responses. The purpose, therefore, was to examine the individual trainability of aerobic capacity and maximal strength, when endurance and strength training are performed separately or concurrently. Methods: For this study, 175 previously untrained volunteers, 89 men and 86 women between the ages of 40 and 67 yr, completed a 21-wk period of either strength training (S) twice a week…

Comment on “Fatigability: A Prognostic Indicator of Phenotypic Aging”

FREE-LIVING AND LABORATORY-BASED GAIT ASSESSMENTS PROVIDE CONGRUENT RESULTS AMONG 75-YEAR-OLD MEN AND WOMEN

It is often wondered how representative laboratory-based assessments are of the free-living condition. Indeed, free-living gait is more predictive of self-reported falls history compared to laboratory-based gait. However, explicit explorations of the relationship between laboratory-based and free-living based gait parameters remain scarce. Therefore, this association was studied using a trunk-worn accelerometer during a laboratory-based 6-min walking test, and in free-living conditions (6 days) in a sample of 75-year-old men and women (N=77). Gait quantity (minutes of walking per day, distance covered for free-living and laboratory, respectively) and quality (assessed with multiscale entrop…

Adverse Cardiovascular Response to Aerobic Exercise Training

AB Purpose: Aerobic exercise training in sedentary individuals improves physical fitness and various cardiovascular (CV) biomarkers. Nevertheless, there has been controversy as to whether exercise training may adversely affect some biomarkers in a small segment of the population. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether clinically significant worsening of CV biomarkers was more prevalent among individuals randomized to a supervised endurance training program as compared with those randomized to a control condition. Methods: Baseline and end of study measurements of fasting insulin (FI), triglycerides (TG), resting systolic blood pressure (SBP), and HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) were o…

Heart Rate Dynamics after Combined Endurance and Strength Training in Older Men

Purpose: Aging alters cardiac autonomic function, which may contribute to a higher risk of cardiac events. Spectral measures of HR variability (HRV) and fractal-like behavior of HR are considered as markers of a healthy heart. The present study examined the effects of combining endurance and strength training compared with endurance or strength training alone on HR dynamics and physical fitness in older previously untrained men aged 40-67 yr. Methods: Subjects were randomized into endurance training (E, n = 23), strength training (S, n = 25), combined endurance and strength training (ES, n = 29), or control group (C, n = 16). Short-term fractal scaling exponent ([alpha]1) and spectral HRV w…

Effects of combined endurance and strength training on muscle strength, power and hypertrophy in 40-67-year-old men

Both strength and endurance training have several positive effects on aging muscle and physical performance of middle-aged and older adults, but their combination may compromise optimal adaptation. This study examined the possible interference of combined strength and endurance training on neuromuscular performance and skeletal muscle hypertrophy in previously untrained 40-67-year-old men. Maximal strength and muscle activation in the upper and lower extremities, maximal concentric power, aerobic capacity and muscle fiber size and distribution in the vastus lateralis muscle were measured before and after a 21-week training period. Ninety-six men [mean age 56 (SD 7) years] completed high-int…

Physical Activity Scaled to Preferred Walking Speed as a Predictor of Walking Difficulty in Older Adults: A 2-Year Follow-up

Abstract Background The usual accelerometry-based measures of physical activity (PA) are dependent on physical performance. We investigated the associations between PA relative to walking performance and the prevalence and incidence of early and advanced walking difficulties compared to generally used measures of PA. Methods Perceived walking difficulty was evaluated in 994 community-dwelling participants at baseline (age 75, 80, or 85 years) and 2 years later over 2 km (early difficulty) and 500 m (advanced difficulty). We used a thigh-mounted accelerometer to assess moderate-to-vigorous PA, daily mean acceleration, and relative PA as movement beyond the intensity of preferred walking spee…

Effects of Combined Strength and Endurance Training on Treadmill Load Carrying Walking Performance in Aging Men

Holviala, J, Hakkinen, A, Karavirta, L, Nyman, K, Izquierdo, M, Gorostiaga, EM, Avela, J, Korhonen, J, Knuutila, V-P, Kraemer, WJ, and Hakkinen, K. Effects of combined strength and endurance training on treadmill load carrying walking performance in aging men. J Strength Cond Res 24(6): 1584-1595, 2010—The present study examined the effects of twice weekly total body strength training (ST), endurance cycling (ET), and combined ST and ET (2 + 2 times a week) (SET) training on the load carrying walking test performance on the treadmill (TM) and changes in neuromuscular and endurance performance during a 21-week training period in aging men. Forty healthy men (54.8 6 8.0 years) were divided in…

Neuromuscular Adaptations to Same-Session Combined Endurance and Strength Training in Recreational Endurance Runners

This study examined neuromuscular adaptations in recreational endurance runners during 24 weeks of same-session combined endurance and strength training (E+S, n=13) vs. endurance training only (E, n=14). Endurance training was similar in the 2 groups (4-6x/week). Additional maximal and explosive strength training was performed in E+S always after incremental endurance running sessions (35-45 min, 65-85% HRmax). Maximal dynamic leg press strength remained statistically unaltered in E+S but decreased in E at week 24 (-5±5%, p=0.014, btw-groups at week 12 and 24, p=0.014 and 0.011). Isometric leg press and unilateral knee extension force, EMG of knee extensors and voluntary activation remained…

Training-induced changes in daily energy expenditure: Methodological evaluation using wrist-worn accelerometer, heart rate monitor, and doubly labeled water technique

IntroductionWrist-mounted motion sensors can quantify the volume and intensity of physical activities, but little is known about their long-term validity. Our aim was to validate a wrist motion sensor in estimating daily energy expenditure, including any change induced by long-term participation in endurance and strength training. Supplemental heart rate monitoring during weekly exercise was also investigated.MethodsA 13-day doubly labeled water (DLW) measurement of total energy expenditure (TEE) was performed twice in healthy male subjects: during two last weeks of a 12-week Control period (n = 15) and during two last weeks of a 12-week combined strength and aerobic Training period (n = 13…

Electrophysiological adaptations to endurance and strength training

Abstract Sex differences in exercise training adaptations are still a largely unexplored field of study. There are well-known differences between men and women in terms of their average baseline fitness, such as larger muscle mass and higher cardiorespiratory fitness in men compared to women. Trained women may have a higher performance level than untrained men, but at the top end of the physical training and performance curve, i.e., where athletes are, men exhibit a higher prevalence and amplitude of sinus bradycardia and other electrophysiological changes. This chapter will explore whether men and women respond differently to a standardized training stimulus when sex differences at baselin…

Body Composition and Fitness during Strength and/or Endurance Training in Older Men

PURPOSE: This study examined adaptations in body composition and physical fitness during a 21-wk strength and/or endurance training period in 40- to 65-yr-old men. We also compared the usefulness of different methods for the analysis of body composition to detect training-induced adaptations. METHODS: Fifty-three men were randomized into the endurance training (E: N = 14), strength training (S: N = 13), combined strength and endurance training (SE: N = 15), or control (C: N = 11) groups. S and E trained 2 and SE 2 x 2 times a week for strength and endurance. RESULTS: Percentage of fat (fat%) decreased (5-8%) similarly in all training groups. Fat% measured by DXA at baseline and its change c…

Effects of an Individualized Active Aging Counseling Intervention on Mobility and Physical Activity: Secondary Analyses of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives: The aim of this study was to report preplanned secondary analyses of the effects of a 12-month individualized active aging counseling intervention on six mobility and physical activity outcomes. Methods: A two-arm, single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted among 75- and 80-year-old community-dwelling people. The intervention group (IG, n = 101) received counseling aimed at increasing self-selected, primarily out-of-home activity. The control group (CG, n = 103) received general health information. Data were analyzed with generalized estimating equations. Results: Physical performance improved in the IG more than that in the CG (group by time p = .022), self-repor…

Active aging – resilience and external support as modifiers of the disablement outcome: AGNES cohort study protocol

Background: Population aging increases the need for knowledge on positive aspects of aging, and contributions of older people to their own wellbeing and that of others. We defined active aging as an individual’s striving for elements of wellbeing with activities as per their goals, abilities and opportunities. This study examines associations of health, health behaviors, health literacy and functional abilities, environmental and social support with active aging and wellbeing. We will develop and validate assessment methods for physical activity and physical resilience suitable for research on older people, and examine their associations with active aging and wellbeing. We will examine coho…

HAND GRIP STRENGTH, LOWER EXTREMITY PERFORMANCE AND ACTIVE AGING AMONG 75-YEAR-OLD PEOPLE

Active aging is an endorsed policy goal, which we defined and quantified at the individual level as a striving for activities as per one’s goals, abilities and opportunities. This study examines the association of physical functioning with active aging. Participants were 127 men and 167 women aged 75 years randomly drawn from the population register as part of the AGNES study. The validated University of Jyväskylä Active Aging Scale (UJACAS) assesses 17 meaningful activities from four aspects: goals, ability, opportunity and activity. Each dimension forms a sub-scale and their sum forms a total score ranging from 0 to 272 (higher scores indicate more active agency). Maximal handgrip strengt…

Changes in Cardiovascular Performance During an 8-Week Military Basic Training Period Combined with Added Endurance or Strength Training

ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study was to examine the changes in cardiovascular performance (VO2 max) and maximal strength development during an 8-week basic training (BT) combined with emphasized endurance training (ET) or strength training (ST) among 72 conscripts. The emphasized ST and ET programs combined with BT improved VO2 max by 12.0% (p < 0.01) and 8.5% (p < 0.05), while the increase in the control group (normal training) was 13.4% (p < 0.001). Body fat and waist circumference decreased in all groups. Normal training did not increase maximal strength of leg extensors but both ST (9.1%; p < 0.05) and ET (12.9%; p < 0.01) did. In conclusion, the current BT program including a …